What are you?

[i-need-a-martini]

I was just watching Hannah Gadsbys (brilliant!) show on the ABC on Australian Art and they brought up some interesting ideas about indigenous culture. It was particularly interesting given the debate on Q&A last night about Bolts "white aborigines" tirade.

So how many generations can pass before you shed your culture? 

I am a first generation Italian and my kids are second generation. But we all call ourselves Italian if asked what culture we are. I imagine my grand and great grand kids will also refer to their Italian culture. Not sure beyond that.

My husband embraces his dads Canadian culture and his mothers Englishness. Yet his mothers ancestors came out from England in the early 1900s. Can he still really claim that his culture is English?

How would you relate your culture if asked what your background is?

[i-need-a-martini]

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@azureline** wrote:
No. As far as I know we have no aboriginal ancestry. Just boring English ones.

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Then your background is English and you still label it English even though 5 generations have passed?

[i-need-a-martini]

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@am*3 wrote:

We don't really have a 'culture' & traditions though?  People of English/UK descent?

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English people do - I hear it from my husband all the time. From simple things like setting a table for dinner to major things like language.

[poison_ivys_pen]

The same Chuk, born here so am an Aussie

[cherry*135]

Who would you label yourself as English (or Scottish, Welsh) etc too. Most people would ask where you were born, not where your ancestors hailed from?

[chuk_77]

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@poison_ivys_pen wrote:

The same Chuk, born here so am an Aussie

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phew, was starting to think my answer was wrong

[i-need-a-martini]

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@am*3 wrote:

Who would you label yourself as English (or Scottish, Welsh) etc too. Most people would ask where you were born, not where your ancestors hailed from?

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I never get asked where I was born but often get asked what my "background" is.

If you speak with an Australian accent you wouldn't get asked where you were born.

[boris1gary]

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

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@boris1gary wrote:

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How horrible was Brandis on Q&A last night, gutsy journo from the australian though - sorry. I would say nothing.

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That episode was fantastic last night. I though Marcia Langton was going to kill the boof headed idiot.

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I couldn't keep watching it after the 18c stuff, once I started yelling at the tele I put Rake on that I had taped - that show is fabulously funny, Rake is so attractive as well, love that show.

[i-need-a-martini]

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@chuk_77 wrote:

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@poison_ivys_pen wrote:

The same Chuk, born here so am an Aussie

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phew, was starting to think my answer was wrong

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No answer is wrong chuk. I am just contemplating the possibilities by asking questions.

[punch*drunk]

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

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@azureline** wrote:
No. As far as I know we have no aboriginal ancestry. Just boring English ones.

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Then your background is English and you still label it English even though 5 generations have passed?

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And what about the 5 generations before that, or the 50? How far back do we have to go before we pick one? Not forgetting the further back you go, the more races/nationality's there is to choose from....do we just pick the one that there is the most of?

[poison_ivys_pen]

Martini, one of my Uncles is a first generation Australian his parents were Italian, he considers himself Australian has always been, speaks no Italian save a few words and a couple of phrases and that is mainly due to his Father having a belief they were in Australia and the language is Enlish that we speak so that is what would be spoken, he said both his parents didn't speak Italian in front of him or his brother.  He has been to Italy a couple of times to visit family there.

I think at some point down the descendent line they would simply say of 'Italian' descent and identify as Australian.  We do have an Aussie culture which is some of it's own making and parts thereof British mixed in.